Sky Full Of Song
by MythicWolf04
Summary: A dragon with a crush can do some stupid things. Two dragons with a crush on each other can lead to utter catastrophe. One little dragon can see the truth, and he has a plan. Nestor/Bubba. Gift for Fog.


A/N: This one is a birthday present for my great friend Fog! Happy birthday dude! You really are the coolest guy ever, and I am so happy to have gotten to know you! You're the best, man.

Suggested listening: Sky Full Of Song by Florence + The Machine

* * *

Puppy love in days of sunshine

Soft bickering turns into kisses

Shaky hands grasping each other

Quiet laughter and shared hugs

Puppy love in peace and quiet

* * *

"Bubba? What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to see how my two favorite dragons are doing!"

"Very funny. I know you just want to take Spyro."

Bubba widened his eyes and scoffed as he walked up to the two dragons that were painting some portraits of the Artisan landscape. Nestor was busy glaring at Bubba while Spyro was laughing.

_Wow, Nestor's painting looks awesome!_

"Come on, Nestor! You know you're my favorite!" Bubba held his arms out for a hug.

Nestor rolled his eyes and turned around to continue his painting. Bubba felt a flash of sadness in his chest, but it soon vanished when Spyro jumped down from his stool and scrambled to him.

"Well, hi Spyro!" Bubba grinned and knelt down.

"Hey, Bubba! Why are you here?" Spyro asked as he cocked his head. Sparx mimicked him from where he was hovering.

"What, I can't take a stroll here?" Bubba gestured to the hills around him.

Nestor snorted. "You're only ever here when you want something."

Bubba set a hand on his heart and mimicked a sob. "How cruel… how animal!"

Nestor cracked a tiny smile. "Well… you are a Beast Maker. Don't you create monsters?"

Spyro gasped. "You can make monsters? That's awesome, you've gotta teach me!" He bounced on his feet and gave Bubba an adorable begging face.

"I dunno, Spyro. It's not safe for a little one like you!" Bubba frowned and shook his head.

"Aww, please!" Spyro frowned and looked up at Bubba with big glassy eyes.

Bubba groaned and tried to look away. _No, must resist! Can't give into those cute pouty eyes! Don't give into the cute little dragon!_

Nestor sighed. "Spyro, that's not such a good-"

"Okay, fine! I'll teach you to make a little monster. Nothing crazy!" Bubba groaned. "Just quit lookin' at me like that, kiddo!"

"Yes! Thank you!" Spyro started to jump around the hillside while Sparx zipped by him.

"You know that's going to go terribly, right?" Nestor got up and set his hands on his hips as he stared Bubba down.

"Could you say no to Spyro?" Bubba bit his lip and matched Nestor's gaze. It made his heart jump into his throat and skip a few beats.

_Why's he gotta be so attractive when he's annoyed?_

Nestor looked away as a smile formed on his face. "Fine, fine. You're right, just be careful with him."

Bubba smirked as an idea came to mind. "If you're so worried… maybe you can come to watch us? Make sure he's not in danger?" _Come on, say yes._

Nestor scratched his chin. "Hmm… that's not such a bad an idea, actually. Guess I'll come and watch next time."

Bubba slapped Nestor's shoulder. "Awesome, I can't wait!" It'll be like a little date!

Nestor sighed. "I better get back to the painting. I've got some wood carving to do after this too. I'd prefer to handle it alone." He raised an eyebrow as he sat back down.

Bubba felt a small twinge of pain in his chest, but it was quickly subsided by anticipation. "Alright! I'll… talk to you later, then? See you in a day or two?"

"Yep. Can't wait." Bubba swore he could see a genuine smile on Nestor's face before he walked away.

As Bubba headed to the portal home, he was stopped by Spyro. Bubba cocked his bead and kneeled down to face him with a smile.

"What's up, buddy?" Bubba chuckled as Spyro's tail waved in every direction while Sparkx was trying to catch it.

"You've been trying to hang out with me and Nestor a lot lately. What's up with that?" Spyro sat down and tilted his head?

_Oh no! What do I tell him? Is he too young? Should I wait to tell him?_

Bubba laughed and looked anywhere except at Spyro. "What, I'm not allowed to hang out with you?"

"No, but it's usually just the two of us… what's going on here?" Spyro smiled and trotted closer to Bubba.

"N- nothing, Spyro! It's none of your business!" Bubba tried to make a break for the portal home, but Spyro dashed ahead and flamed the grass ahead of him.

"I think I know what's going on here!" Spyro grinned evilly while Sparx crossed his arms and huffed.

_Oh no. Please say something cliche and dumb... Like we're planning a party!_ "W- what? What's going on?"

"You like Nestoooor!" Spyro sang while he hopped around.

_Dang. The kid's too smart._

Bubba sighed and hung his head. "Alright, Spyro. You got me, I really like Nestor." His heart skipped a beat as he thought about the green dragon that had taken over his mind and thoughts.

"Anyone could see that! I'm surprised he hasn't; he must be as dumb as you!" Spyro laughed and poked at Bubba's legs.

"Spyro, that's rude!" Bubba leaned down and flicked Spyro's horns. Spyro yelped before he stuck out his tongue at Bubba.

"Well, I'm just trying to help," Spyro grumbled as he started to walk away from Bubba and back to Nestor on the hill.

Bubba chuckled under his breath. "I'm sure you are, kiddo." He stared at Nestor atop the hill.

_Gosh, he's so beautiful. It's like the sunlight is reflecting off of his scales and making him look even better._ Bubba sighed as he watched Nestor gaze intently upon the landscape before applying a few strokes to his canvas.

_So talented too… and smart, and wonderful._ Bubba felt his heart flutter and skip a beat.

_Wait, what are you doing, Bubba? You're being a creep! Go home!_ He shook his head and turned around with a groan. He walked into the portal and flew home to prepare for Spyro's lesson.

* * *

Timid, tentative heartbeat

One thing reaches for another

Frustration and suspense out of the conflict

Will the end ever end?

* * *

"Oh, this is going to go _swimmingly_."

Nestor sat down on the floor of the Beast Maker hut they were situated in with a frown on his face.

"Come on, Nestor! Have some faith in Spyro!" Bubba slapped Nestor's back before he stood up and walked to the center of the little place where Spyro was waiting.

"I'll have faith in him when this lesson is over." Nestor crossed his arms and furrowed his brows. Bubba felt his stomach twist into knots, but he took a breath and tried to dispel them.

Spyro stood up and blew a puff of fire as he growled. "Hey! I've saved your butts three times now! Can't I get just a little respect and trust?"

_Oh, geez. I didn't even think about that._ "I'm sorry, kiddo. I didn't mean to hurt you." Bubba knelt down and set a hand on Spyro's back.

Nestor's frown broke and his eyes softened. "I didn't mean it like that, Spyro. I'm just worried about you." Nestor's quiet voice sent electricity racing through Bubba.

Spyro smiled. "Thanks, guys, but I'll be fine! Bubba is an amazing teacher!" He headbutted Bubba's leg.

_Aww, Spyro is so sweet! We don't deserve the little guy._ Bubba ruffled Spyro's head and dragged a hand down his spine for a moment.

"Let's get started then!" Bubba grinned. "You guys ready?"

"Sure, let's get this over with." Nestor's voice was bored, but Bubba saw that his eyes were bright and attentive. He raised a brow but turned back to Spyro.

"Okay, Spyro. Beast Makers use our imagination to think up a new creature, and then we use resources from the land to make something! Watch me demonstrate!"

Bubba closed his eyes and tried to imagine something small and huggable. _Ah, a rabbit! I'll make a little green rabbit!_

He went outside and looked around the murky swamp for materials that would suit a fine rabbit. He gathered some plants from a nearby garden, a rabbit's foot from another dragon's stash, some mushrooms, and a bowl of green paste that he saw Bruno making. After he collected the materials, he walked back to his hut where Spyro was waiting with a huge grin on his face.

"What are you gonna make, Bubba? A monster? Oh, a huge boar?" Spyro was nearly bouncing off the walls.

Bubba laughed. "You'll see, Spyro!" He set all of the materials on the floor and sat down in front of them with crossed arms. Nestor watched with furrowed brows as he set everything up.

_Okay, a green rabbit… as green as the grass. As green as Nestor's amazing scales… Oh. C'mon, Bubba! Focus on the creature for Spyro!_

Bubba relaxed and extended his arm out with an open palm. A light blue orb of light appeared in his hand and enveloped the materials as it glowed brighter. A second later, there was a sudden flash of light and where the materials once stood, there was now a small rabbit with green fur. It looked at Bubba and sat down on the floor.

Spyro gasped. "Bubba, that's so cool! I've gotta try it now!" He started to rush out of the hut, but not before Bubba stood before him and shook his head.

"Not so fast, kiddo! You've got to figure out what you want to make first, remember?" Bubba smiled and looked over to where Nestor was sitting. He had a smile on his face while he was... Staring at Bubba? But he looked away when they made eye contact.

_That's weird. Maybe he… no, that's ridiculous…_

"How about a big scary monster for me to torch?" Spyro nodded to himself. "That'll be fun!"

Bubba shook his head. "Nothing too crazy, remember? Make something small, like that rabbit! You can't just start out with something that advanced!"

"Aww… fine. I'll start small." Spyro kicked at the ground for a moment before he closed his eyes. A moment later he opened them, and they were bright and shining. "I've got it! I'll be back in a second!" He dashed out of the hut.

Bubba shook his head and laughed. "That kid really is something, isn't he?"

"Yes, and I'm surprised you're being… so responsible. That's not like you." Nestor cocked his head. "Are you the real Bubba, or are you someone else?"

Bubba stuck his tongue out at Nestor. "I'm only responsible about my craft, Nestor. I'd rather have fun with Spyro, but this is important!"

Nestor's eyes widened. "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was such a big deal for you."

Bubba sat down next to Nestor with a sigh. "Beast Makers create life, but it can be chaotic. We have to be careful so we don't wreck the balance of nature. If Spyro made something really bad… it could screw things up."

Nestor watched him intently as he spoke. "So… what happens if he did make a terrible, gross monster?"

Bubba tapped his foot on the floor and scratched at one of his horns. "Well, it wouldn't be good for us, but it could also make nature… angry. She is a scary lady, and if we add too much of one thing, she will overcorrect and wreak terror on everyone."

Nestor's face turned a sickly shade of green and his eyes were wide. "Is it really that serious?"

Bubba nodded. "Beast Makers keep nature from becoming imbalanced. It's a really hard job." He laughed and slapped Nestor on the back. "Don't worry about it too much!"

"If you say so, Bubba." Nestor was staring at him with a brand new look on his face. It looked like he was about to laugh and cry and shout all at the same time, and also looked like he was both at peace and about to explode.

"Guys, I'm back! Look what all I got!"

Spyro burst through the entrance of the hut while he held a small basket full of materials. He walked to the center and dumped them all on the floor before he sat down in front of them. Sparkx dropped a single twig among the pile.

"What's all this for, Spyro?" Bubba asked as he gazed upon the assortment of leaves, twigs, and berries, as well as a few… claws. "Not something dangerous?"

"No, I had a really cool idea!" Spyro scowled at Bubba, but it soon broke into a smile. "It's gonna be great… I think…"

Bubba crouched down next to Spyro. "Okay, Spyro. You're gonna reach your hand out towards the stuff, and concentrate really hard on what you want to make. Got it?"

"I've got it!" Spyro nodded and stilled himself before he reached out a hand.

_This might not go as well as he wants… my first creation wasn't even living. All the materials just exploded everywhere. Wouldn't be surprised if it happens again._

Instead of a blue orb, Spyro's was a fierce red color as it appeared in his hand. It flashed and enveloped the room in light so bright Bubba had to close his eyes.

When he opened them, a small bird made out of twigs with leaf wings was hopping around on the ground. It stared at Bubba with eyes made of red berries and chirped.

"Spyro…" Bubba stood slack-jawed. He caught Nestor in the corner of his eye with the same expression.

"Is it not good?" Spyro's wings drooped and he looked down at the floor.

"Spyro, it's beautiful…" Bubba walked up to the fragile little bird and held his hand out. It hopped on his hand and cocked its head at him. He felt a tear well in his eye.

"This creativity… you've got serious talent and potential, Spyro." Bubba watched as the little bird pecked at his hands. Its wings were a hue of orange and yellow that faded to green at the wingtips.

Spyro looked back up with an open mouth. "S- seriously?"

Bubba nodded. "If you could do this blindfolded in the future, I wouldn't be surprised! There's a lot you can do already!"

"Don't encourage dangerous behavior, Bubba!" Nestor's stupid wonderful voice cut the mood apart. Bubba felt his chest contract and he winced.

"Sorry…" Bubba looked down at the floor. His chest kept burning while his face heated up.

The bird flapped its wings and jumped to land on Spyro's head. Spyro laughed and poked at it. It started to peck his horns, and a small smile crept back on Bubba's face.

"I would like more lessons, Bubba," Spyro murmured. Bubba felt his heart lift a little, and he nodded.

"Stop by anytime and we can get you set up!" Bubba grinned and set his hands on his hips.

Nestor got up from the floor. "Alright Spyro, time for us to go. We need to be back for dinner."

"Aww, okay… see you later, Bubba!" Spyro followed Nestor out of the hut and waved as they left. Nestor cast a look back and nodded at him.

Bubba felt more isolated and alone than ever before in his life. He sat on the floor and looked down at his hands.

_Why… why does Nestor hate me? I like him so much but he doesn't like me back. Not even as a friend!_

Bubba shook his head as a pit formed in his stomach. _I'll keep trying… but at this rate… I don't know._

* * *

Attention

A feeling as tedious to catch as a bird in flight

Hurts to ignore, hurts to chase

We just want it

* * *

"Nestor, how's this look?"

"It's a very… interesting wooden house. It is a house, right?"

"Nestor!"

"I'm joking, Spyro."

_Gosh, you're so cute, Nestor._

_Why can't you like me?_

Bubba hugged his legs to his chest while he watched Spyro and Nestor carve some houses and sculptures out of wood. He was sitting nearby on the grassy hill, silent.

Warmth and cold were battling in his chest while he watched Spyro laughing with Nestor. _Nestor is way more responsible than me… I know Spyro likes him more._

Spyro put his house down and looked over at Bubba. A frown formed on Spyro's face before he said something to Nestor and started walking over to Bubba.

"Are you still upset?" Spyro sat in front of Bubba, who nodded and started ripping the grass up.

"Nothing works on him! I can't get anything right and now he just hates me!" Bubba exclaimed before he threw his hands in the air.

"Bubba, come on! You're better than this, you just gotta keep trying!"

"What's the point if he's just gonna hate me? He thinks I'm irresponsible!" Bubba laid down on the grass and looked up at the big blue sky.

"He doesn't hate you! He's just bad with words."

Bubba scoffed. "And how would you know that?"

"Sometimes he says mean stuff to other dragons and he always feels horrible about it. He apologizes every time!" Spyro smiled and curled up next to Bubba.

"He hasn't apologized to me…" Bubba closed his eyes and sighed.

"When was the last time you talked to him?" Spyro hopped on Bubba's stomach and made him grunt.

"Two days ago." Bubba avoided Spyro's gaze and busied himself counting the clouds in the sky.

"No wonder! You need to talk to him, stupid!" Spyro jumped up and down on Bubba's stomach and made him get up while he shooed the purple dragon away.

"Fine! Fine, I'll talk to him!" Bubba stood up and grumbled to himself while he brushed his trousers off. He shot Spyro a dirty look before he walked down the hill and towards Nestor.

Nestor had his back to Bubba as he worked on his small house. Bubba watched with wide eyes as he handled the wood and made great edges and faces like it was nothing. _Gosh, he's way more talented than me. How can he do that so easily? I wanna learn that._

Bubba cleared his throat. "Uh, hi Nestor."

Nestor turned around from his chair and raised a brow. "Hey, Bubba."

"So, how are you? Whatcha doing?" _What kind of question is that? You know exactly what he's doing, idiot!_

"Making a model house. Just teaching Spyro before I get back to my bigger projects." Nestor shrugged.

"Sounds fun." Bubba took a seat on the chair next to Nestor and rested his arms on the table.

"That kid is exasperating to teach. Weird how he's hung around me so much lately." Nestor shook his head and set his tools down next to the model house.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Bubba smiled and cocked his head at Nestor.

"I don't know… haven't had a ton of time to myself. He's more than a handful."

Bubba laughed and shook his head. "I know that feeling all too well."

A moment of silence lapsed between the two of them, and Bubba found himself opening his mouth to issue an apology.

Nestor laughed and cleared his throat. His expression changed into one of sadness. "Bubba, I'm… sorry for how I treated you the other day. I wasn't being a good person, and I apologize for that." He didn't meet Bubba's gaze.

_Guess the kiddo was right. Huh. I should listen to him more._

"O- oh. It's okay, Nestor! I'm fine, really!" Bubba smiled and patted Nestor's arm. "I know I'm a huge, irresponsible idiot."

Nestor shook his head. "But you aren't. You really care about Spyro and you want to teach him valuable skills. He really looks up to you." He set his own hand on Bubba's shoulder.

"Really?" Bubba felt his heart warm and expand in his chest as a smile crept across his face.

"He talks about you a lot! He tells me all about how amazing and wonderful you are!" Nestor started laughing, and oh, Bubba could feel his heart melt into a puddle. _Nestor's laugh… that's the best thing I've ever heard._

"Thanks, Nestor." Bubba felt his shoulders relax and he let loose a breath he didn't know he was holding. He squeezed Nestor's arm a little tighter.

Nestor squeezed Bubba's shoulder back. "I'm sorry for everything I've said. I've been far too harsh and rash… I should've been better." He shook his head and covered his eyes.

Bubba took Nestor's hand and removed it from his eyes. "Hey, it's okay. We all make mistakes!" He paused and chuckled. "I make a lot of mistakes."

Nestor smiled. "Neither of us is perfect, are we?"

"I guess not."

Bubba looked down and saw he was still holding Nestor's hand. His face heated up as he withdrew and cleared his throat. Nestor looked away at the same time.

_Oh no, he's way too cute! What am I gonna do? He's so amazing!_

"I should probably… head home now." Bubba laughed and got up. Nestor nodded and did the same.

"Yes, I need to take Spyro to Magnus for some training. Do you want to talk later, perhaps?"

_I've been waiting to hear those words so long!_ "Yes, of course! See ya later?" Bubba raised a hand.

Nestor waved. "I'll see you sometime soon, Bubba." He smiled at Bubba before he turned to walk towards Spyro.

Bubba stood there with a huge grin on his face. _He's so… so perfect..._

He started walking to the Beast Maker portal, the grin never leaving his face. His face was on fire and his heart was beating furiously in his chest.

_I can't wait to talk to Nestor again!_

* * *

Words of love

Carried from mouth to air

Simple as a kiss

Complex as holding hands

* * *

A day later, Spyro dragged Bubba and Nestor out to the Artisan village. Bubba whistled to himself as he walked next to Nestor down the street with Spyro ahead of them.

"Spyro, where are we going?" Nestor asked while he set a hand on his hip.

"To the market! I wanted to go shopping!" Spyro looked back and grinned before he started walking faster. Sparkx buzzed excitedly after him.

Bubba laughed and picked up the pace. "Don't suppose you want us to pay for whatever you want?"

"Isn't that what my guardians are supposed to do?" Spyro stuck his tongue out at Bubba.

Nestor snorted. "We certainly won't if you give us that attitude." His words were sharp, but he had a small smile on his face.

"Okay, okay! I'll be nice." Spyro fell back to walk between the larger dragons. Sparkx landed on Spyro's head and laid down. "I kinda wanted some art supplies so I can paint whenever I want!"

Bubba set his hands on his chest. "Aww, Spyro! Isn't that sweet of you!" He looked over and saw that Nestor's face had turned a darker shade of green.

Nestor nodded. "Yes, indeed it is." He scratched his chin for a moment. "Fine, I'll pay for the art supplies for you."

Spyro butted Nestor's leg and laughed. "Yes! Thank you so much Nestor; this is the best!"

_Gosh, Nestor, you're so sweet! How are you real?_

They walked to a marketplace in the center of the town, which was a large circular courtyard with a fountain in the middle. Spyro led them to an art stand that Delbin was attending.

"Greetings, Delbin." Nestor smiled and rested his arms on the stand. Spyro jumped on Nestor's shoulder and waved.

"Hey, guys! What can I do you for?" Delbin clasped his hands together and looked down at the items displayed on his stand. "Brushes, paint, canvas… maybe even an easel?"

Bubba lost focus as Delbin and Spyro began talking. He instead took his time observing Nestor. _How can a dragon be so perfect? How can he be so sweet to Spyro? How do you have such perfect eyes?_

_Oh, wait…_

Nestor was staring right back at him.

Bubba looked down at the floor while his head burst into flames. "So uh, how are you doing?" He asked after he cleared his throat.

"I'm doing well. How are you?" Nestor flashed Bubba a heartstopping smile. Bubba forced down the butterflies in his stomach and smiled back at Nestor.

"I'm great! I'm glad you invited me!"

Nestor scratched his head. "Uh, it was Spyro's idea. He invited us both, actually…" He hummed.

_That trickster… what's he up to?_ Bubba eyed Spyro as Delbin showed him some paintbrushes. _That kiddo is sly as heck._

"Do you want to sit down while he decides?" Nestor pointed to a bench by the fountain. Bubba nodded, and they both walked over to sit down.

Bubba chuckled. "I don't understand how the kiddo has so much energy."

"He does have… seventy-two other dragons that take care of him? I'm sure he gets it from more than a few of them," Nestor replied as he patted Bubba's leg.

Bubba stared down at the hand with wide eyes. _He's being awful touchy-feely; is he usually like this?_

"I wonder what they teach him." Bubba bit his lip. "He's usually with just you or me, though."

"I hope he's not ignoring his other training just to hang out with us." Nestor cradled his chin in a hand.

"Yeah, you're right. Makes me wonder why he likes us more."

"I understand why he would want to spend time with you so much. You're talented at your craft, you're loud and happy, and you're a good charmer." Nestor listed items on his hand as he spoke.

Bubba laughed as warmth seeped through him. Bursts of beautiful happiness flooded his mind. "You really think so? Is that true?"

Nestor nodded. "I've seen it myself. You're a very good person, even if your ideas of parenting aren't exactly like mine."

Bubba snorted. "Put it that way and it sounds like we're both his dads."

"Well, all of the dragons are taking care of him. I'd say its more like he has seventy-four fathers." Nestor laughed and hid his grin behind a hand.

Bubba laughed with him and slapped his back as he clutched his stomach. "Oh man, that's a really good one!"

"It's true, isn't it?"

Bubba sighed and wiped a tear from his eye. "Yeah… it's way too true."

_I haven't felt this light in so long. I almost feel like a young dragon again!_

Nestor's face suddenly turned rigid as his scales darkened. "Hey, Bubba. Can I tell you something?"

Bubba frowned. "Of course, what's up?"

"Well, I guess I wanted to tell you that I-"

"Hey, Nestor! I've got what I want!" Spyro exclaimed from the booth while he grinned.

Nestor sighed. "Okay, I'm coming. Let's see how expensive all of this is."

Bubba watched him go while he raised a brow. I wonder what all that was about? Is Nestor okay?

Bubba turned around and looked at the rushing water of the fountain. _I should tell him soon, shouldn't I? I don't want these feelings to just sit here; they'll kill me if I don't say something! Even though he's going to reject me for sure…_

The water cascaded inside of his head. It washed through his mind and drowned out the rest of the noise of the market, leaving him alone with his cacophony of thoughts.

_This is only getting worse. I have to say something soon, or I'll never be able to._

"Alright Bubba, I'm done shopping!" Spyro bumped Bubba's leg and he turned around to see Nestor carrying a big bag of art supplies.

"Jeez, did you buy out the whole stand?" Bubba shook his head as he stared at Nestor.

Nestor smiled. "Not quite, but Delbin sure is happy to have made a profit." He leaned down and patted Spyro's head. "My wallet sure is suffering, though."

"Is there anywhere else you wanted to go, Spyro?" Bubba asked while he stood up. He felt Nestor's gaze on him and he blushed.

_Is he doing this to me on purpose? What's his game? Does he even realize what this is doing to me? Surely he can't!_

Spyro hummed. "Give me a second to think about it, I'll take a look around."

"Yeah, sure." Bubba waved to him half-heartedly as he met Nestor's strange gaze.

"You look a little flustered, are you okay?" Nestor cocked his head and reached a hand out to touch Bubba's shoulder.

"Y- yeah. I'm alright, thanks." Bubba shrugged the burning hand off of his shoulder.

"You sure? There are a lot of people out here today." Nestor frowned.

"It must just be the heat, is all. I'm alright!" Bubba lied through his teeth with a grin. _What are you doing? You're not being truthful!_

"As long as you're sure, Bubba. I do care about you."

Bubba's heart skipped a beat. _Did I hear him right? Did he say… he cares about me?_

"Thanks, Nestor. That means a lot."

"Of course. Wouldn't you agree, Spyro?" Nestor smiled and leaned down, but there was no dragon there. "Huh, odd."

Bubba looked around, but he didn't see anything. _Oh no, he's gone. He's disappeared!_

"Spyro is missing!" Bubba exclaimed as he kept looking around.

"Oh no." Nestor rubbed his temples. "We take our eyes off of him for one minute!"

_Nestor is gonna hate me so much!_

Bubba started to circle the courtyard with Nestor close behind. "Why did I say he could just wander off?" Pricks of pain stung his chest. "I'm a terrible guardian!"

"No, you're not." Nestor stopped him and shook his head. "You're not a bad guardian." He touched the side of Bubba's face and set it ablaze.

_What's he doing? Why is he doing this?_

"Okay, thank you." Bubba smiled through the burning sensation. "Let's go find that rascal."

"How about we split up? We could cover more ground."

"Good idea!"

Bubba walked down a street that led away from the courtyard and shouldered past other dragons while he looked for a bright purple dragon. All the colors of everyone's scales blended together in a chaotic rainbow of dragons. Smells of wonderful spices from some stands invaded his nose.

_Man, why did today have to be Market Day? It's gonna be impossible to find Spyro!_

Bubba pushed through the crowds while he retreated inside his mind. He wondered why Spyro would just… get lost. He wondered why Nestor was so gentle with him all of a sudden. He didn't understand.

_Surely I don't have a chance with him, right? Spyro seems to think I do, but I don't know._

_Wait a minute._ Bubba hummed and scratched his nose. _Spyro got into trouble around_ both _of us._

He quickened his pace and scowled. _Oh, I'm going to get that kiddo!_

A few moments of frantic fumbling and searching later, Bubba saw a bright purple blur zip between some dragons ahead of him. He grumbled to himself as he squeezed between a few smaller dragons.

"Spyro, what are you doing? Come here right now!" Bubba shouted after Spyro, but he ducked behind another group of dragons and disappeared again._ Seriously?_

Before Bubba knew it, he had circled the town and came to a halt in the courtyard where they had started. Pressure and frustration built in his chest until he shouted and stomped at the ground. White hot anger tried to overtake him, but he forced it down before it quite literally exploded.

_Don't murder Spyro when you catch him, he's not that bad a kid. I think._

"Spyro, what the hell are you doing?" Nestor roared from the other side of the courtyard.

Bubba bit his lip and cringed (when has Nestor _ever_ been that loud?) while he ran over to the livid green dragon who was holding Spyro by the scruff of his neck.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Please put me down!" Spyro pleaded.

Nestor rolled his eyes. "Fine." He set Spyro down.

Bubba knelt before Spyro. "Do you know how worried I was? What the heck were you thinking?"

Spyro huffed and stamped his feet. "I was just trying to… you know…"

Understanding and anger dawned in Bubba. "Trying to get me to admit my feelings for Nestor, huh? Make me tell him how wonderful and perfect I think he is? You were doing this so he could realize how responsible I am so he would like me back? Is that it?" He crossed his arms. Spyro groaned and rolled his eyes.

"What? What's that look for?"

The entire courtyard was enveloped in a fog of silence as the weight of what Bubba said took the breath from his lungs. It sat on his chest and crushed and constricted him while he lay helpless.

_I am the biggest idiot that has ever graced this land. I am _so_ stupid._

A warm hand on Bubba's shoulder. He shut his eyes. "Bubba…" Nestor's voice was so soft and silky.

"I'm so dumb," Bubba murmured as he turned to face Nestor.

"Do you really have feelings for me? Truly?" Nestor almost looked hopeful. Or maybe Bubba was just imagining things.

Bubba looked away. "Yeah… I do." Nestor said nothing, so Bubba cleared his throat. "I have a huge crush on you. You're just so awesome and wonderful and perfect and I'm in love with all of you."

"And here I thought I would never have a chance with you."

Bubba looked up while the breath was taken from him again. Nestor's face was a dark green while he smiled- no, grinned. "What?"

Nestor chuckled. "I've been harboring feelings for you for a while too. I wasn't sure if I should do anything with them, and I wasn't sure if we would work, or if you would hate me." He walked up close to Bubba. "I was indecisive… but I want to try not to be."

Bubba felt his heart try to burst in his chest. "And how are you gonna try that?" He grinned and leaned in close. Their faces were barely an inch apart.

"Hmm… I think I'll try this." Nestor bridged the gap and their lips touched.

Fireworks exploded in Bubba's head while his heart came to a stop. There were colors and warmth and heat everywhere and butterflies in his stomach but there was also nothing. There was nothing and everything in Bubba's head as Nestor's arms wrapped around Bubba and drew him close.

_Wow… this is the best thing ever. Nestor is the best thing._

He could hear cheers and whistling a million miles away, but it didn't matter. Bubba focused on how smooth Nestor's scales were and how his breath tickled Bubba's nose.

Nestor pulled away and they both laughed breathlessly. Bubba found that he had wrapped Nestor in an embrace, and he laughed some more and kissed the side of Nestor's mouth.

"Damn," they both whispered.

The cheers were all around them. Bubba saw Delbin… Magnus… everyone was staring! He blushed and hid his head in Nestor's chest while he tried to vanish. Was he vanishing?

"Well… that worked better than I thought," Spyro murmured, shattering the embarrassment and replacing it with annoyance.

Bubba scowled at Spyro. "Youre gonna be in so much trouble later, you little devil!"

Spyro laughed and tried to run away, but Delbin caught him. "I can watch over him for a bit if you two want." Delbin winked before he dragged Spyro off.

"Fine, you two need some space anyway! You're welcome, Bubba!" Spyro exclaimed as he was led away by a chuckling Delbin.

Bubba breathed a sigh of relief before he turned back to Nestor. "So you really have feelings for me?"

Nestor snorted. "You're such a dork. Yes, I do." He took Bubba's hands in his own.

"That's great! But why?"

"Well, you're crude and silly. Youre irresponsible and carefree… and you're the most wonderful and kind dragon I've ever met." Nestor kissed Bubba's forehead.

"Aww, Nestor! That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me!"

"I have to make up for my rude comments somehow." Nestor closed his eyes. "I am terribly sorry for that, by the way. I let my emotions get the better of me."

"It's alright. I forgive you!" Bubba set a hand on Nestor's shoulder.

"Thank you. You're amazing."

Bubba laughed. "Guess we're together now, huh?"

"That's pretty clear, yes." Nestor glanced around at the crowd, which was still staring at them. "Do you want to take this somewhere more private?"

Bubba nodded as his blush grew darker. "Yes, please."

Nestor grabbed Bubba's hand and led him out of the courtyard. Bubba could still hear a few cheers behind them as they left, and he groaned.

"At least they're supportive about it?" Nestor looked over at him and raised a brow.

"It's still embarrassing!"

Nestor wrapped an arm around Bubba's waist. "But does this feel right? Does this make you happy?"

"Yes," Bubba replied without a moment's hesitation. His entire body coursed with sparks of electricity and his scales buzzed under the contact.

_Man, he's got a huge effect on me!_

"Where do you want to go now?"

Bubba shrugged. "Wherever you want to go!"

"Alright, then let's get lost."

"Together? Sounds perfect."

Nestor grabbed Bubba's hand and stroked it with his thumb. Bubba flinched for a moment, but soon squeezed Nestor's hand and smiled as he tried to commit every little detail to memory.

"Then let's get lost together." Nestor leaned over and kissed Bubba on the cheek.

Bubba stopped and turned to face Nestor. "Can I kiss you again?"

Nestor chuckled. "You didn't even have to ask."

Bubba snickered before he wrapped his arms around Nestor and drew him in to press their lips together. Bubba closed his eyes and hugged Nestor tighter while he deepened the kiss.

_I hope I never get used to this…_

They pulled back and rested their heads against each other.

"I really like you." Bubba grinned.

"I like you too, Bubba." Nestor reached up and caressed Bubba's cheek.

A moment later they continued walking hand in hand out of the town, where a portal lay in wait. Bubba smiled as his heartbeat relaxed. The whole world seemed to calm down and still around them. The sky turned orange and gold in a burst of color and chaos and beauty.

Bubba glanced at Nestor.

_I finally don't feel crazy. I feel at peace_!

Bubba felt Nestor squeeze his hand tighter._ I could get lost with him. Yeah._

_Let's get lost._


End file.
